Offshore drilling rig mooring



Sept. 26, 1961 w. T. GILMORE, JR., ETAL 0 OFFSHORE DRILLING RIG MOORING Filed Feb. 26, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Wa/fer 7T Gilmore. Jr: Caesar .S. Thorguson 24 An/hon J. Guarisco i /2 Ro/an A. Verrer INVENTORS WW 13m Sept. 26, 1961 Filed Feb. 26, 1958 W. T. GILMORE, JR, ETAL OFFSHORE DRILLING RIG MOORING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Walker 73 Gilmore, Jn Caesar 5. Thorguson Anthony J. Guarisca Roland A. Verret 1 N VE N TOR .5

BY WM EM United States Patent 3,001,371 OFFSHORE DRILLING RIG MOORING Walter T. Gilmore, Jr., P.0. Box 497, Morgan City, La.,

Caesar S. Thorguson, 639 Utah St., Berwick, La.,

Anthony J. Guarisco, 1013 Ditch Ave., Morgan City,

La., and Roland A. Verret, Amelia, La.

Filed Feb. 26, 1958, Ser. No. 717,595 8 Claims. (Cl. 61-48) This invention comprisesxa novel and useful offshore drilling rig mooring and more particularly relates to a floating mooring buoy especially adapted for floating attachment to an oflshore drilling rig support.

In the operation of offshore drilling, the drilling rig is frequently erected in depths of water up to one hundred feet or more in order to drill a well bore at a desired location with respect to a petroleum deposit. Consequently, in order to anchor or secure boats at the drilling rig, especially in rough seas, a difiicult problem arises owing to the depth of water beneath the boat. Further, owing to the very long lengths of anchor line necessary, the boats frequently shift through a very considerable are or distance from the drilling rig.

It is therefore a primary object of this invention to provide a means whereby such boats may be readily secured in close proximity to the drilling rig and whereby the necessity for an anchor line comparable in length to the depth of the ocean at that point may be substantially eliminated or very greatly reduced.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mooring device which shall at all times maintain a fixed position with respect to the existing supporting structure of an offshore drilling rig in order that boats may be attached thereto in close proximity to the drill rig.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a mooring device in accordance with the foregoing objects which shall float upon the surface of the water and thereby eliminate any considerable change in the horizontal inclination of a mooring line for a boat.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a floating mooring buoy in accordance with the preceding objects which will enable a boat to ride out a storm and the like as the buoy andmooring line rises and falls with the boat during a storm.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in vertical elevation showing the manner in which an offshore drilling rig mooring in accordance with this invention is applied to the supporting structure of a drilling rig and is utilized for anchoring a boat thereto;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged horizontal sectional detail view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a view taken upon an enlarged scale in vertical central section substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 33 of FIGURE 2 and showing the internal structure of the mooring buoy and the manner in which it is fioatingly secured to a vertical guide wire; and

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional detail view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 4 of FIGURE 3 and showing the manner in which the buoy is floatingly secured to the guy line.

Referring first to FIGURE 1 for an understanding of the general environment and principles of this invention, there is shown at a portion of the structure of a drilling rig, the same including a concrete base or anchorage 12 from which rise tubular struts 14 having therein vertically slidable legs 16 by which the framework 10 is supported above a water level indicated at 18. In accordance with the present invention, and in suitable positions about the periphery of the supporting structure there are provided a plurality of guy lines 20 having their opposite ends secured to fasteners 22 and 24 respectively carried by the supporting structure 10 and the base 12 in a taut manner therebetween. Designated generally by the numeral 30 is a mooring buoy or mooring device which is operatively associated with the guy line 20 together with a mooring line 32 which may have a hook or anchor 34 thereon by means of which a boat 36 may be moored at a relatively short distance from the mooring buoy 30 and thus from the drilling rig structure 10.

It should be understood that any suitable number of these guy lines and mooring buoys 36 may be provided at spaced positions about the drilling rig in order to take advantage of the leeward side of the drilling rig when anchoring boat thereto.

Referring now primarily to FIGURE 3 it will be seen that the mooring buoy 30 comprises a buoyant floating body consisting of a cylindrical casing 4-0 preferably of steel in which is disposed a concentric cylindrical tube 42. Annular top and bottom plates 44 and 46 respectively are welded or otherwise secured in a watertight manner to the upper and bottom circular ends of the cylinders 40 and 42, to thus provide a centrally disposed tunnel or channel 48 through the body 40. This channel serves to loosely receive and permit passage of the guy wire 20 therethrough as will be apparent from FIGURE 3.

Suitably secured to and respectively rising above and depending beneath the top and bottom plates 44 and d6 of the body 40 are sets of inwardly inclined arms or standards, those extending above the buoyant body being indicated at 50 and those below the same at 52. As will be best apparent from FIGURES 2. and 3, these standards at their extremities adjacent the body it} are provided with flat horizontally extending flanges 54 and 56 respectively, while the remote or outer ends of these standards have rigidly attached thereto cross members 58 and 60.

Referring now to FIGURE 2 it will be seen that cross member 58 comprises a pair of parallel transversely extending plates 62 and 6-4 which are rigidly united at one end by the integral end plate 66, and at their other ends are provided with laterally inwardly offset integral end portions 68 and 70 to which is secured a suitable fastener such as a ring or swivel 72 to which the previously mentioned mooring line 32. is attached.

It will also be observed that the two plates 62 and 64 have secured therebetween transversely extending members '74 and 76, which are thus positioned in alignment with the central channel or tunnel 48 to permit passage of the guy wire 20 therethrough.

Journaled in the side plates 62 and 64 of the cross member 58 are horizontally disposed shafts and 82 lying on one side of the central axis through the member 30, and a shaft 84 lying on the other side thereof and between the first two mentioned shafts. A guide pulley 36 is journalled on each of these axles and embraces the guy wire therebetween.

In a similar manner, the lower cross member 60 is identical with the upper cross member except that if desired, the parallel extension portions 68 and 70 and the anchoring ring 72 may be omitted therefrom as shown in the lower portion of FIGURE 3. Inasmuch as the rest of the lower cross member is of the same construction as the upper cross member, the same reference numerals have been applied thereto. It will be understood that in some instances the lower cross member may be identical with the upper cross member so that either end of the device may be used as the upper mooring end thereof. Further if desired, additional anchoring rings 72 may be suitably secured to the cross members in order that more than one boat may be moored thereto if desired.

It will thus be apparent that there has been provided a mooring device whereby a guy wire may be rigidly and tautly secured in vertical position beneath the platform of an offshore drilling rig and have a floating anchoring buoy slidably secured to and guided for vertical travel thereon, and to which boats may be readily moored.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative enly of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A mooring buoy for use with olfshore drilling rigs comprising a vertically elongated buoyant body having a central vertical opening therethrough for loosely receiving a stationary, vertically elongated guide member, a pair of cross members, support means secured to and projecting vertically from the top and bottom of said body and each rigidly supporting one of said cross members, each cross member having an opening therethrough aligned with the axis of said vertical opening for receiving said vertically elongated guide member, and pulleys journaled in each cross member and disposed in the oper1- ing therein for embracing said guide member, a fastening means attached to said body to which the mooring line of a boat may be attached.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said body comprises concentric cylindrical casings, said vertical opening extending through the inner casing, plates closing the top and bottom of the chamber disposed between said casings, said supports being mounted upon said plates.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein at least one of said cross members comprises a pair of transversely extending parallel plates, cross plates extending between said parallel plates and forming therewith said opening in said cross member, said pulleys having axles supported by said parallel plates and lying between said cross plates.

4. The combination of claim 1 including axles mounted in each cross member on opposite sides of the vertical axis of said body, said pulleys being journaled on said axles for engaging opposite sides of said vertically elongated guide member.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said fastening means comprises integral end portions on one of said cross members.

6. The combination of claim 1 wherein said cross members have their extremities terminating within the projected cross sectional area of said body.

7. The combination of claim 1 wherein at least one of said cross members comprises a pair of transversely extending parallel plates, cross plates extending between said parallel plates and forming therewith said opening in said cross member, said pulleys having axles supported by said parallel plates and lying between said cross plates, said fastening means comprising parallel integral end portions on one of said cross members.

8. The combination of an offshore drilling rig having a base disposed below the ocean surface and a drilling platform support above said surface, a vertical guy wire secured to said base and platform, a mooring buoy having a vertical opening receiving said wire and floating on said surface, arms mounted upon said buoy and projecting upwardly and downwardly from the buoy top and bottom respectively, upper and lower cross members carried by said arms above and below said buoy, said cross members having openings therein alined with said vertical opening, a set of guide pulleys journaled in each cross member opening and embracing said guy wire, and means on the upper cross member for securing a boat mooring line thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 227,831 Pouchet et al. May 18, 1880 1,997,586 Kingman Apr. 16, 1935 2,479,217 Diamond Aug. 16, 1949 2,666,934 Leifheit Ian. 26, 1954 2,700,781 Smith Feb. 1, 1955 2,808,016 Jarnot Oct. 1, 1957 2,844,943 Kennedy July 29, 1958 2,845,892 Jorgenson Aug. 5, 1958 2,915,879 Besse Dec. 8, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,043,316 France June 10, 1953 1,063,852 France 1953 1,024,441 Germany Feb. 13, 1958 

